How to Remove Black Smoke From Plaster Walls

by Shelley Marie

Soot from a fireplace, burning candles or a fire can leave black smoke stains on your plaster walls. Since soot is oily, it clings to surfaces and can smear or spread when it's cleaned with water or other cleaning products. For easier removal, dry-cleaning methods should be used first, followed by washing with water and white vinegar. The vinegar can remove any remaining soot from the plaster walls and neutralize the odor.

1

Open any windows to ventilate the area while cleaning smoke and soot stains.

2

Vacuum as much soot as possible from the plaster walls, using the nozzle attachment. Hold the nozzle about 1 inch from the wall to avoid smearing the soot while vacuuming.

3

Wipe the plaster wall with a dry-chemical sponge to remove the soot.

4

Fill a bucket with equal parts of white vinegar and warm water. Dip a sponge into the solution and scrub any remaining soot from the walls. Rinse the sponge in the bucket, as needed. Allow the walls to air-dry.

Things You Will Need

Rubber gloves

Vacuum with nozzle attachment

Dry-chemical sponge

Bucket

White vinegar

Sponge

Tip

Add a few drops of essential oils such as mint, lavender or lemon to the vinegar solution to cut the scent.

The dry-chemical sponge will wear down while cleaning, so you may need to use more than one for large areas.

Wear rubber gloves when washing soot off the walls.

Dry-chemical sponges are available at many home improvement stores or online.

About the Author

Shelley Marie has been writing professionally since 2008 for online marketing and informational websites. Her areas of expertise include home, garden and health. She holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration and an associate degree in medical billing and insurance coding, both from Herzing University.

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